Speed-indicator.



H. R. WALLACE.

SPEED INDICATOR.

APPLIGATION FILED Nov. 15, 1911.

3 SHEETS-SHEET 1.

hlllll Patented Nov. 26, 1912.

H. R. WALLACE.

l SPEED INDICATOR. APPLICATION FILED Nov.15,'1911.

1,045,647. Patented Nov. 26, 1912.

3 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

Wafne's ses;

H. E. WALLACE.

SPEED INDICATOR.

i APPLICATION FILED NOV.15, 1911.

11,045,647. Patented Nov. 26, 1912.

` E l l /9 i "mmhiii i HUBBE R. WALLACE, F EAST AUBURN, CALIFORNIA.

SPEED-INDICATOR.

i Specification of Letters iPatent.'

Patented Nov. 26, 1912.

Application led November 15, 1911.. Serial-No. 660,323.

' To all 'whom 'if may concern:

, Be it known that I, HUBBE R. WALLACE, a citizen of the United States, residing at East Auburn, in thercounty of Placer and State of California, have invented new and useful Improvements in Speed-Indicators, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to a speed indicator and particularly pertains t0 an attachment for use on vehicles, whereby the rate of travel of the vehicle will be indicated to passersby.

It is the object of this invention to provide an apparatus which can bel readily attached to vehicles, such as automobiles, street cars, or other` conveyances, for the purpose of indicating the speed of the vehicleto people along the route of travel, as well as to the occupants thereof.

A further object is to provide an apparatus of the above character, which is simple in construction, and eicient in operation.

Other objects of this invention, together with the advantages to be derived by the use of the same, will be disclosed in the following specification.

The invent-ion consists of the parts and the construction and combination of parts, as hereinafter more fully described and claimed, having reference 4to the accompanying drawings, 1n which- Figure 1 isa diagrammatic view showing the principle of operation of the invention. Figs. 2 and 3 are similar views showing .modified forms of the indicator operating mechanism. Fig. 4 is a det-ail perspective of the indicator. Fig. 5 shows a modified form of the indicator.

In the drawings A represents the rotating axle of an automobile or other vehicle, on which is mounted a pinion 2 which meshes with a gear 3 or other transmission mechanism, whereby a governor of any suitable description may be operated. Several forms of governing devices are here shown; Fig. 1 showing l ernor having a central spindle 4 geared with the pinion 3, with arms carrying balls 6 pivotallyattached thereto. The arms 5 are linked to a sleeve 7 on the spindle 4; the balls 6 moving outwardly as the speed of the spindle 4 increases,.and inwardly as the s eed diminishes, so as to raise and lower Y t e sleeve 7 in the usual manner-L f the ordinary centrifugal gov-A a piston 9 to movethe latter upwardl in o position to a sprlng 10,4 as the spee of t e gear 3 increases; the spring 10 movin the piston 9 downward as the speed diminishes.`

12 towardthe normal positionv as the speed l of the magnet 11 diminishes. It is obvious that any form of governor may be employed and that it may be operated from any rotatable part of the vehicle, the speed of which varies with the speed of the vehicle; such, for instance, as the wheels thereof, in which event the governor driving pinion 2 would be mounted thereon instead of on the shaft A. The essential feature is to provide a governor operated by'. a 'moving vehicle for the purpose of moving a spring contact member 15, -which is electrically connected withcone terminal of a battery B by means of a. conductor a, over a series of separated contact plates 16 from which conductors b lead to a series of solenoid magnet coils 17 disposed at any convenient point on the vehicle body, and the terminals of which connect with a conductor c leading to the other terminal of the battery B.

The solenoids 17 are adapted to `acten solenoid cores 18 in the usual manner, when energized. The cores 18 are attached to suitable indicating devices or signals, which at 2l; the levers normally extending 1n anL approximately vertical direction with the blades 19 concealed-behind a shield 22 of any suitable description. The upper. ends ofthe levers 2O are connected to the solenoid cores 18 in such manner that when the solenoids 17 are energized, the cores on entering the solenoids will rock the leversv 2O so as to diss-` ed at 23 to swing upwardly, which is disposed transverse to the ends of the levers 2O in such manner that the ends of the levers will lift the bar 23 on their upward movement and pass therebeyond; the ends of the levers falling back and being supported on the bar 23. This bar is limited in its downward'movement by a stop 24, and is normally retained in its lowermost position by means of a spring 25. In the operation of this form of the indicator, the energizing of one of the solenoids 17 acts to rock the lever 20 corresponding thereto, so as to cause it to be engaged at its outer end by the bar 23 and expose the plate 19 thereon; the operated lever 20 in lifting the bar 23, moving it from under suchlever as may be previously supported thereon, and thereby allowing the latter lever to drop by gravity back to its normal position. By this arrangement but one blade 19 will be in the exposed position at one time.

` The blades 19 are designed to carry numbers sutliciently large to be readable from a considerable distance; tliese numbers representing the speed of travel of the vehicle at the time a solenoid 17 is energized by the selective mechanism, consisting of the contact members 15-16; the contact member 15 being caused to move over the members 16 by the action of the governor in one. direction as the speed of the vehicle increases and in the other direction as the speeddiminishes.

The contact member 15 in passing from one contact member 16 to the next in the series in either direction, thus acts to energize the solenoids 17 successively, which in turn o erate the levers 2O and blades 19 successively, as before described, to ex ose numbers corresponding to the speed o travel of the vehicle at different times; any variation in speed causing a corresponding variation in the number exposed.

1n the form of the indicator shown in Fig. 5, the solenoid cores 18 are connected to levers 26, the outer ends of which extend into ooves d formed on sleeves 27, which are slidable lengthwise on a shaft 28 and revoluble therewith, the shaft 28 being designed to be continuously rotated. The sleeves 27 carry cam faces or fingers 29 which are adapted to strike tappets 30 formed on the levers 20; the fingers 29 being normally disposed so as to pass to Vone s1de of the tappets 30 without operating the latter. Springs 31, acting on the levers 26 are here shown as a means for retaining the nger's 29 out of alinement with the tappet 30.

WhenA a solenoid 17 is energized by the selective mechanism, before described, the lever 26 corresponding thereto is actuated so as to move the sleeves 27 longitudinally on the .shaft 28 and thereby position the nger 29 thereon in alinement with a tappet 30 in `such manner that the latter will be struck by the finger 29 and moved downwardly. This acts to rock the lever 20 and expose the plate 19 thereon, as before described.

The principle of operation of my invention is as follows: As the speed of the vehiclerincreases or diminishes, the governor acts to move the contact member 15 successively over thecontact members 16 in either direction, so as to successively ener ize the solenoids 17 and thereby operate t e indicating device, so as to expose a number to show to passersbyl the speed at which the vehicle is traveling; the numbers on the indicator being of such size as to be readable from a considerable distance.

Alarms may be mounted in the electrical circuit connecting the contact members 15-16, solenoids 17, and battery B, as shown at D in Fig. 1, the alarm consisting of an electric bell or other sound producing device which will operate when the contact member 15 closes a circuit with a cont-act member 16.

It will be understood that I am not to be limited to the exact construction and arrangement of parts herein shown and described, but that the invention includes changes and modifications thereof within the claims.

Having thus described my inventioii, what I claim and desire to secure by Letters Patent is- 1. A speed indicator including independently fulcrumed and numbered vanes or blades, solenoids, and intermediate connections between the-solenoids and the vanes, electrical connection between the solenoids and independently disposed contact plates, a spring pressed arm movable over said contact plates, and intermediate mechanism conneeting with a revoluble part to advance said arm and energize the solenoids so as to raise the numbered plates successively.

2. A speed indicator including fulcrumed arms and carrying numbered vanes, a shield connecting ymechanism whereb the vanes may be successively raised as t e speed 5in creases, an electrical circuit, a series of contact plates and a sprin pressed arm adapted to travel over said p ates and included in the circuit, and mechanism whereby the arm is caused to advance by the increased speed of the connected motor. and the solenoids are successively energized and the vanes are caused to swing up to a. vvisible position2 a tained in their exposed position, said sup ort being movable to disen age the prece g vanes simultaneously Wit the exposure of va succeeding one. y

In testimony whereof I have hereunto set m hand in the presence of two subscribing wltnesses HUBBE R. WALLACE.

Witnesses: v

CHARLES EDELMANN,

C. C. COOK. 

